Beware Armadillos

I know! You're welcome. Before you go quoting this Discover article from nearly 10 years ago and say "What the heck" I'll posit to you that actually the relative danger of the armadillo is perhaps worse than you thought, even if you don't live in Texas (it's their state mammal). (Don't mess with Texas?)

It turns out that wild armadillos can actually get leprosy and transmit it to humans (see legitimate NEJM article cited in the above Discover article). And unless you are in the latter days of February on your One Year Chronological Bible, odds are you may think leprosy is no longer relevant, a disease of antiquity...certainly not anything that has to do with the modern age, let alone you. I'm sorry to say that I fear it's closer to you than you think. Also by the way I think you should strongly consider doing a chronological read of the Bible at least once in your life. 🙂

Back to leprosy: for those that want to research it, check out this National Organization for Rare Disease (NORD) article, and for the rest of us, let me hit the high points. Leprosy actually begins as a super slow-growing bacteria, often beginning as small red or white spots that get bigger. As the disease progresses, your nerves are impacted, your hair falls out, body parts literally decay, causing deformity; it's considered a living death, or dissolution little by little, as the victim wastes away. While I don't have the expertise in the clinical details or interest in spending quality time on the grotesque, I'd like to point out a few observations that blew my mind this week while I was reading Leviticus and this amazing commentary:

Initiating the Infection

Though I think most of us picture the eventual demise of the disease when we think about leprosy, it actually starts out essentially undetectable, often making it difficult to determine the cause of the disease. How many times have you found yourself utterly perplexed by how you could have gotten to a certain stage - in a bad relationship, the wrong job, a problematic habit, in a corrosive addiction. I know there was a time where I longed so much for "simpler" days when 3 glasses of wine would be considered a lot, never able to actually discern what aspect of those earlier experiences led to the overwhelming "infection" and power of drinking in my life. It seems painless at the beginning, and yet we all have it, a bend toward personal and individual proclivities lead us away from the best version of ourselves. Even if we don't happen to call it by the name of sin, these tendencies are often just like a sinister bacterial invasion that starts small, may even actually go into periods of remission, but then returns.

See if you can spot the parallels in addiction (or your particular sin) and leprosy:

  • The bacteria attack the nerves and they can become swollen and painful under the skin (it didn't start out this way, but the more I drank the more I found myself anxious, emotional, defensive and often self-righteous; I hated my inability to ever control/manage/end the constant cycle)

  • After time, you lose the ability to sense touch and pain, leading to cuts and burns (every relationship I had was impacted by my drinking, most notably my close relationships; in some cases there were emotional injuries on both sides, but I grew to prefer being numb, causing me to withdraw and end relationships that were too difficult)

  • Left untreated, nerve damage (impaired communication pathways that direct your brain and body's activities) can result in the paralysis of the hands (what you do) and feet (where you go), and blindness (your ability to see). Even for those crying out in pain, how can one even hope to be in loving relationship with God? How can you live to your capacity? How can you discern the Holy Spirit's guidance?

Experiencing the Exclusion

At the time Leviticus was written (roughly 1200-1400ish B.C. - a long time ago) the Jewish custom was to stay at least 6 feet away from a leper, and in those days the isolation was more about preventing outbreak than the rights of the individual (again, so good to check out commentary every now and again!). Turns out, prolonged close contact with someone untreated is needed to catch the disease, but there was a tremendous amount of stigma and prejudice connected to the disease, and even today those suffering are isolated and discriminated against. Isolation is a human response to sin, but Jesus always draws closer. He loved lepers and healed them when they had no hope. There are still lepers in 3rd world countries and even rare cases in the United States, but there are also so many more people living in the shame of their "leprosy", unable to name it, address it, bring it out into the open.

In exploring this topic I came across the great Charles H. Spurgeon's sermon on leprosy and sin (where he does a MUCH better job discussing this topic than I ever could). As he described the plight of sinners among the people of God, I couldn't help but think that there must be SO MANY people that feel this way: "Do you not feel, poor convicted sinner, that you are unfit to join Christ’s church? You can go and find such mirth as the company of your fellow lepers can afford. But where God’s people are, you are out of place...As a sinner full of guilt, you are shut out from all communion with God. True, He gives you the mercies of this life as the leper had his bread and water, but you have none of the spiritual joys which God affords to His people. You cannot stand in His presence, for He is a devouring fire and would consume you. Your prayers are shut out from Him, your words are unheard." 

God's house is supposed to be the safest place for sinners to congregate; a sanctuary from the constant onslaught of the external and internal pressures to perform, to be perfect, and in so many cases to "fix" ourselves. And yet, without radical love exhibited by all who serve in the church, so many of us feel unfit, unready, pre-mature and aim to sort out all these problems before we start attending church/start serving in church/start opening up to others, etc. 

Reconstructing the Remedy

In the case of leprosy, once treatment is started, that person is no longer contagious - but it is very important to finish the entire course of treatment as directed by a doctor. Once feared as highly contagious (and to be sure it is a devastating disease) we now know it can easily be treated once recognized.

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" John 5:6 NIV

Leprosy has no natural cure and it tends to be chronic, with the duration of the battle several years or even life-long. Once diagnosed, however, it can be cured in 6-12 months of a prolonged course of antibiotics, with early treatment avoiding disability. The use of multiple concurrent medications helps prevents antibacterial resistance which may otherwise occur due to the length of the treatment. How does one go about curing your own "leprosy"? Well, for most cases it may be a lifetime of treatment as directed by our spiritual Doctor: reading the Word, praying, attending church/being in the house and living life in community are critical medicines that, once layered, prevent resistance from building. But each of those approaches are actually variations of the same remedy: Jesus.

In cases of leprosy, treatment can cure the disease and prevent it from getting worse but it does not reverse the nerve damage or physical disfigurement so therefore it is important to diagnose and treat as early as possible. In the case of sin, every measure that focuses your attention on Jesus, that convicts you to act in ways that conform your heart to be more like his, every brother or sister in Christ that provides perspective, inspiration and love is important and useful - but it will never cure your sin or reverse the damage done. The only way to actually get rid of it is by admitting it to God, committing to turn away from it, and allowing the power of Jesus' sacrifice to forgive you and redeem you entirely.

The book of Leviticus discusses several rituals of sacrifice: for atonement (making peace with God), for thanksgiving (gratitude for the gifts received from God), and for peace (enjoying the peace of God). Chapter 14 specifically discusses cleansing from skin disease, describing a purification ceremony with 2 live birds, a cedar stick, a scarlet sash and hyssop: one bird is sacrificed over fresh water, remaining clean, and the blood of the sacrificed bird purified that person. Following the sacrifice, the priest would then release the remaining live bird in the open field to fly away. Now for those like myself that benefit from another Bible commentary:

  • Why birds? They were seen as heavenly beings.

  • Why cedar? It is resistant to disease and rot, a symbol of health and vigor, and also the wood of the cross

  • Why scarlet? It is the color of the blood of the heavenly being that purifies and the purified and now healthy blood (life) of the person who is being purified

  • Why hyssop? (a symbol of humility)

So this is a lot of reading about leprosy and hopefully we all see the parallels with sin in our lives...But what are the armadillos in your life? Not enough time in the Word? Not enough time in the house? Not enough humility? Trust? Dependence? Submission? So often people's paths with sin start small, meander, start, stop, backtrack and start again with such a frequency it can scarcely feel possible to actually succeed. And yes, for me, I had to get to the limit of myself to even have a shot of being free from alcohol. To quote this amazing sermon once again:

“As for the future, I can make no promise. I have often promised and so often lied. I have so often trusted in myself to reform, so often have I hoped the energy of my nature might yet heal my disease, that I renounce, because I cannot help renouncing all such desires. Lord, if ever I am made whole, Your grace must make me so." - C.H. Spurgeon

Thank you, God, for your immeasurable grace. I need it every day.

Hey - does your "leprosy" involve alcohol? Mine did until 209 days ago (and now I am working on all kinds of other leprosy, haha!). If you would like to explore what your life would be like with less alcohol and more faith please consider checking out this amazing online program starting in March that my friend Kate has created. There is no pressure, no sponsorship, no drama of any kind, just an opportunity to be in a safe community of folks exploring this topic. If you're interested just shoot her a note via the "connect" button on her page. We love you!!

Laura Van HagenComment